Brake-shoe



(N0 M0d 1 J. OKS.

' No. 573,376. Patented Dec. 15, 1896.

UNITED STATES ATENT FFICE.

JOHN L. \VIOKS, OF FITZGERELL, ILLINOIS.

BRAKE-SHOE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 573,376, dated December15, 1896.. Application filed October 26, 1895. Serial No. 567,002. (Nomodel.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN L. IVICKS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Fitzgerell, in the county of Jefferson and State ofIllinois, have invented a new and useful Brake-Shoe, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to brake-shoes, and has for its object to provide ashoe of that class which is so connected to the brake-bar as to adapt itto be removed from operative position when not in use, the connection between the shoe and the swinging or link frame by which attachment ismade to the brakebar being adapted to allow rocking movement to enablethe shoe to adjust itself to the position of the contiguous portion ofthe wheel, particularly as the bearing-surface of the shoe becomes worn.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will appear in thefollowing description, and the novel features thereof will beparticularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a brake-shoeconstructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinalvertical section of the shoe, showing in dotted lines the inoperativeposition of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of theswinging or link frame detached.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawings.

Mounted upon a brake-bar 5 is a swinging or link frame 8, having a fronttransverse spindle arranged in bearing-loops 6 011 the upper surface ofthe brake-bar, the side arms of said swinging or link frame beingadapted, when the latter is in operative position, to rest upon-theupper surface of the brake-bar. The side arms of the swinging frame arepro vided at their rear ends with enlargements 9, forming dependingears, of which the front sides are vertical or perpendicular to thelower edges of the side arms to bear against the rear edge of thebrake-bar for a purpose hereinafter explained, and said enlargements areconnected by a transverse rear spindle 3, upon which is mounted thebrake-shoe 1, said rear spindle being spaced from the rear edge of thebrake-bar or at a greater distance from the fulcrum of the frame thansaid rear edge of the brake-bar in order to allow the brakeshoe to rockindependently of the brake-bar and swinging frame to adjust itsbearing-surface to the position of the contiguous portion of the wheel.In the construction illustrated the brake-shoe is provided in its rearside with an open-sided bearing 2 for the reception of the transverserear spindle and is covered by a bearing-plate 10. The bearing-surfaceof the brake-shoe is made fiat in order to increase its durability orthe length of the time during which it is effective, but it isobvious... that as the bearing-surface becomes worn and concaved by thefrictional contact of the rim of the wheel the brake-shoe will adaptitself by rocking upon the rear spindle 3 to the contiguous portion ofthe surface of the tire and thus insure an efficient contact under allconditions.

It is desirable to avoid bringing the face of the brake-shoe intocontact with the wheel in an inclined or angular position, whereby theupper or lower end of the bearing-surface may receive more wear than theother, and hence I have mounted the brake-shoe at its center upon thespindle 3, whereby it is adapted to rock in both directions with equalfacility to insure a central or intermediate contact of the bearinsurface with the wheel. The contact of the vertical front sides of theenlargements or cars 9 with the rear side of the brake-bar relieves thespindle 7 and bearings 6 from strain when the brake is in operation.Furthermore, the spindle 3 connects the ears 9 at a point below theplane of the upper surface of the brakebar, whereby pressure against thesame is transferred to the front edge of the brake-bar instead of to thespindle 7, by which the frame is connected to the brake-bar.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details ofconstruction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit orsacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim is-- The combination with abrake-bar, of a swinging frame pivotally mounted upon said bar andhaving side arms adapted to rest upon the upper surface thereof, saidside arms being provided at their rear ends with enlargements formingdepending ears having vertical front edges to bear against the rear sideof the brake-bar, a spindle connecting 5 said depending ears below theplane of the upper surface of the brake-bar and arranged at an intervalfrom the rear ed ge of the brakebar, and a brake-shoe fulcrulned at itscenter upon said spindle with its front side out 10 of contact with thebrake-bar whereby it is free to rock in either direction from a verticalposition to insure a central bearing of its surface upon the peripheryof a wheel, sub- JOHN L. WIOKS. \Vitnesses':

E. O. ATKINS, M. B. ATKINS.

